Race ResultsWC 2019 Series
Results: OW; OM
WC Silokek
Results: MM, U19M, OM, OW, U23M, U23W
Ibar, Serbia 2019
Results; Video; Photos
EC 2019 Series
Results: R6 Overall; R4 Overall
EC Devil’s Stream
Results; Photos; Video;
EC British Open
Results; Photos
Canada Nationals
Results; Photos: -1-, -2-, -3-. Video H2H.
Pre-WRC, Ziyuan
Results: Men, Women; Photos: Trng, SP/OC, SL, H2H, DR; Videos: D1, D2, D3, D4;
ERC Vrbas, Bosnia
Results and media
EC Results so far
R6: OM; OW. R4: OM; OW.
EC Trnavka
Results: Sprint; Slalom. Photos.
WRC 2019, Tully
Results, Photos, press releases, etc
EC Wildalpen
Results: OM, U23M, OW; Photos
EC Priboj, Serbia
Results; Photos
EC Nottingham
Results, Photos: -1-, -2-, -3-. H2H Video
EC Romania, Dracula Race
Results; Photos
WRC 2018
All results
more archived Race Results
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By IRF admin, on March 6th, 2020  Recognising that we are stronger together, the Ukrainian Rafting Federation (URF), founded in 2009, are the most recent member to join the IRF rafting family. The URF joins the All Ukraine Rafting Federation (AURF) as our second provisional member federation from Ukraine. The IRF will be working with the two rafting federations to help unify rafting in Ukraine as we continue to unify rafting worldwide. We wholeheartedly welcome URF to the IRF Family!
The URF now conducts National Championships each year in the categories of Juniors, Open and Masters and have been competing in international competitions for a number of years. In preparation for meeting IRF membership requirements, the URF has added clauses to its organisation statutes, which among other additions, states that the URF recognises, “the International Rafting Federation (“IRF”) as the world governing body of rafting”.
 Ukraine has a great range of rivers and rafting locations along with a fast developing tourism industry. Internationally recognised and respected IRF GTE Workshops have been run in Ukraine since 2016, increasing the standard of river safety for all.
However, the forefront and leading work URF are best known for is their pioneering work in para-rafting. They started developing para-rafting in 2017 and in 2018 and 2019 they organised an international Para-Rafting competition in Kiev, Ukraine. Among the IRF’s core objectives enshrined in our Bylaws, is to promote rafting as a Paralympic sport. For the past two years the IRF has been working closely with para-athletes and other international sport federations involved in para-sports, to create a well designed and carefully crafted management plan for whitewater para-rafting competitions. Our objective is to roll out a safe para-rafting structure that incorporates a wide range of disabilities, conforms to International Paralympic Commitee (IPC) guidelines, and stays true to rafting’s origins and history as a thrilling sport conducted on whitewater. We are delighted to include the URF among our body of experts working on this ambitious project, and welcome their experience and advice as these plans continue to develop.
 Ukraine team racing at IRF Kashmir Cup, India in 2008 Oleksandr Bakanychev, President of the federation, tells us the development priorities of the URF are:
- Strong preparation for the IRF World and European Championships;
- The reform of rafting;
- Providing a qualitative and clear system of sporting equipment purchase;
- Building modern sporting infrastructures for conducting international competitions and involving rafting athletes;
- Building new sporting facilities in the places that are suitable for conducting rafting competitions;
- Creation and implementation of the competition system of school children’s and student’s leagues;
 Realisation of the pilot project “Money walks after a child” at children’s and youthful sporting school in Scole, Lviv region, Ukraine;- Digitisation of sporting sphere: creation of unified electronic registers of competitions, coaches, athletes and sporting facilities;
- Development of tourist rafting in Ukraine;
- Training for guides and instructors
- Training for coaches and judges
We will report more soon about their recent project of developing rafting amongst children aged 10 to 15 years old.
We look forward to meeting all the Ukrainian teams at our upcoming European Champs, World Champs, as well as Euro Cups and World Cups.
By IRF admin, on March 5th, 2020  The IRF Sport & Competition Committee have concluded the annual updating of the Race Rules. The new rules come into effect from the 1 March.
The majority of the changes are under the H2H section, which is not surprising as this new format is still getting a few crinkles ironed out. The changes can be seen in the following document which shows where the changes have been made – IRF Race Rules – March 2020 with track changes. The key changes are listed below:
- Definitions of “Inside the raft” and “Sportsmanship” have been added.
H2H:
- The Team with the faster time in the Sprint is awarded the choice of Start Lane. So times in H2H races no longer dictate choice of start lane.
- Under H2H safety – competitors are not allowed to intentionally exit their rafts at any time during the H2H race except under the following situations:
- Their raft is firmly grounded on a rock or other obstacle and cannot be ungrounded by other means.
- Exiting their raft is necessary because of a clear and obvious safety hazard.
- There is now a 50 second penalty instead of disqualification for disregarding the H2H safety rules.
- Teams will be disqualified if they take longer than 15 mins to do the entire course. This time can be shortened by the Jury if needs be.
- Rules around sustainability have been added as well. The inappropriate discard of rubbish during an IRF Event is considered unsportsmanlike behaviour bringing the sport of rafting into disrepute and so can be penalised.
See you on the race courses!
#RaftersAreAwesome #AreYouReady #internationalrafting
By IRF admin, on March 5th, 2020  Karnali, the longest river in Nepal, is recognized as world class for whitewater rafting and is still the last free flowing river in Nepal. It originates from the base of mount Kailash, flowing across the beautiful landscape of Nepal before dispersing into the Ganges River.
The Great Karnali Quest- sacred downriver raft race (probably the longest downriver raft race in the world) will be an incredible experience of a lifetime. It would be 242 km of raft racing in the most pristine Himalayan river. This event aims to promote the Karnali Region as a wonderful destination for Eco-adventure tourism. The Great Karnali Quest is not only about the rafting challenge, it’s a campaign to raise awareness amongst the global community to conserve the natural rivers before they are destroyed.
Continue reading The Great Karnali Quest – 242 kms of epic Downriver racing!
By IRF admin, on March 5th, 2020 The following was issued to all IRF national rafting federation contacts on 04 March 2020.
Read the official correspondence to IRF national rafting federations here.
To: IRF National Federation Members
From: Joseph Willis Jones – IRF President
For Immediate Release
Dear Member Federation,
The IRF is continuing to closely monitor the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. It remains too early to tell what, if any, effect it will have on the 2020 IRF international rafting competition schedule, and in particular on our 2020 World Rafting Championship (WRC). As always, the health and safety of our rafting family will be our number one priority.
IRF Administration and Media representatives are receiving many requests for information from teams and athletes about the effect the outbreak will have on the WRC. We are redirecting team and athlete information requests to their National Federation. It appears that misinformation has been spread claiming that our 2020 WRC has been cancelled. This claim is entirely false and we are asking our National Federations to please redistribute this notice to their athletes and anyone else concerned about our 2020 WRC. This notice will also be published on our website and social media outlets.
Since our last notice one month ago, the COVID-19 situation has changed tremendously. Some changes have been positive, while others have not. More is known about the virus, in particular that it has thus far resulted in mild symptoms for the vast majority of cases, and had its most serious effects on elderly persons and those with serious pre-existing health issues. Medical experts now believe that normally healthy individuals (like IRF athletes) will likely not experience serious effects if they become infected, however they caution that there are unknown factors yet to be learned.
The virus has thus far wreaked havoc on the worldwide international sporting calendar and numerous events, including Olympic qualifiers, have been cancelled, postponed or relocated. However, today, 3 March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has reiterated its commitment to holding this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan as scheduled.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently released statements that the risk of the epidemic spreading is now very high at a global level. They report that in the last 24 hours there were almost 9 times more cases reported outside China than inside China, but there is evidence that containment is still possible. We are receiving hourly updates from WHO and other medical authorities.
Taking a snapshot of today, 3 March 2020, the number of cases globally now exceeds 92,861 across 77 countries and territories, with at least 3,162 deaths reported. Today only 125 new cases were reported in China, a sharp drop from only a few days ago. The epidemics in the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are currently the WHO’s greatest concern with more than 600 new cases today in South Korea, 542 in Iran and 523 in Italy.
Guangxi Province, China, site of the IRF 2020 WRC, has reported no new cases in more than 12 days; and of the 252 people who have been infected, 210 people have completely recovered and only 40 remain infected. Guangxi is roughly the size of Italy in landmass and population and located approximately 850km from the virus epicenter in Wuhan.
We encourage our athletes to continue to prepare for the IRF 2020 WRC, but be ready for any changes as the situation continues to develop. What is true today may no longer be true the day after tomorrow. We also ask everyone to be aware that constantly changing travel restrictions may impact some of our events. We suggest that teams DO NOT purchase air tickets for the WRC at this time.
 The IRF will continue to follow the advice of WHO, as the leading United Nations agency on this topic. We urge all members to stay up to date on the latest WHO advisories. It is vital that athletes adhere to the advice of the WHO which includes avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections; engage in frequent hand washing; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; practice respiratory hygiene; and if you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early.
To our members who live in countries or areas currently affected by the virus, we take this opportunity to express our heartfelt sympathy and support to those who have experienced suffering or loss. We wish you all the best during this difficult time.
Respectfully yours,
Joseph Willis Jones
International Rafting Federation – President
Continue reading Concerns re Coronavirus COVID-19 and IRF Events (Update 2)
By Sean, on February 11th, 2020  Hosted in the French alps, over three action packed days, delegates to the 2020 IRF GTE Instructor Conference will discuss and share ideas on the latest developments in raft guiding and safety. Registration is now open and delegates are encouraged to register early to avoid disappointment when tickets sell out.
Full agenda can be found here.
Location: Camping Les Eygas; Fontmoline, 05380 Châteauroux-les-Alpes, France +33 4 92 43 63 80
Date: 27th to 29th April 2020
Host: www.wildwaterschool.nl
Rivers: Durance, Guil and Ubaye rivers
Cost: €300 Per person. This includes 3 nights camping & 3 meals per day along with all river shuttles & equipment hire.
Language of the Conference: English
Pre-requisite: IRF Instructor Certificate
Registration: Complete the registration form here to register
Enquiries: Mark.hirst@internationalrafting.com
By IRF admin, on February 6th, 2020
The Rafting Federation of the Republic of Srpska (Rafting savez Republike Srpske) are proud to announce the first ever whitewater safety conference aimed specifically at the Balkan region. The Balkan White Water Safety Summit will be held in the City of Banja Luka from 18 to 22 May 2020, with a workshop being run on the Vrbas River at the start.  The aims of the conference are to:
- Promote rafting standards in the Balkan region
- Unify the rafting industry in the Balkan region
- Improve the safety on rivers and what the benefits of safe rafting are
- Cooperation between rafting companies on Balkan
- Look at floods in the Balkan region and what the role of educated rafting guides in this can be
- Promotion of the 2021 World Rafting Championship in BiH
Program:
- 18 – 21 May 2020 – IRF Guide and Trip Leader Workshop on the Vrbas River.
- 22 May 2020 – Conference in the City of Banja Luka (all day)
- 10:00 Official opening and speakers (Ministries, IRF and Mayors)
- 10:30 – 11:00 Presentation of BiH’s WRC 2021
- 11:00 – 11:45 IRF standards and safety on river
- 11:45 – 12:00 Open discussion
- 12:00 – 12:30 Break
- 12:30 – 13:00 ATTA and outdoor industry standards
- 13:00 – 14:00 IRF standards and the rafting law in Balkan countries
- 14:00 – 17:00 Different Workshops – more details soon
- 17:30 Conclusion
Invitations will be extended to all those who are interested in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania. Interested persons are very welcome from regions outside of these regions. Invitations will be extended to key persons in the Ministry of Sport RS and BiH, Ministry of Tourism RS and BiH and Mayors of the City Banja Luka and Foca, as well as companies and authorities from Neretva and Una Rivers, plus the touris boards of all these cities.
Keep an eye on the following website for updates: raftingsavezsrpske.com/balkanconference
By IRF admin, on February 4th, 2020 
In an historic announcement, the Hellenic Canoe-Kayak Federation (HCKF) is the most recent national federation to join the IRF. The HCKF identified the IRF as being the only legitimate and globally recognised rafting federation to truly and honestly represent all rafting interests around the world. With HCKF having been recognised by the Minister of Sport to develop the sport of rafting since 2004, the recent growing interest in rafting amongst their 56 clubs and the IRF’s recent approval as a GAISF Observer prompted them to join the IRF family of rafting nations.
The HCKF plan to run their first National races this year during their National Slalom event, as a demonstration of what rafting is about. They also plan to send teams to IRF events this year, in particular the World Rafting Champs in China in August.
Greece has been a long time participant in the IRF’s Guide Training & Education program and we look forward to growth in this area as well.
HCKF are also looking at contacting non-sporting organisations to grow the interest of rafting as a sport, as well as for fun, plus using the sport for team building and encouraging water safety. They are also working on coaching/ trainer’s educational courses.
Their vision is to create the appropriate conditions for international participation for their athletes, and to safe guard the high level of rafting events in Greece.
Greece has a number of beautiful rivers to go rafting on. One of the clearest rivers in Europe, Voidomatis lies amidst a scenery of breathtaking beauty and is ideal for beginners, as the 5 km route presents no particular difficulties.
If you’re looking for something more challenging then try the Arachthos which is one of the most popular spots for river rafting. Entering into the narrow gorge of Arachthos, you will come across breathtaking scenery with vertical steep slopes reaching 700m. In the middle of the route, you have the opportunity to make a stop and walk to the Glyfki waterfall.
We look forward to welcoming Greece to our international events in 2020.
More info:
By IRF admin, on February 4th, 2020 The following was issued to all national federation contacts on the 30 January 2020. Read the official correspondence to national federations here.
The IRF has been working hard to prepare for our flagship competition, the 2020 R4 World Rafting Championship, scheduled to be held 22-30 August on the Wu Pai River in Ziyuan County, Guang Xi Province, China.
Like the rest of the world, we are closely watching the rapidly developing news about the Wuhan coronavirus that suddenly appeared in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December. Wuhan is geographically located approximately 850 km from the Wu Pai River competition area. For now, people located in the competition area have not shown any signs of infection. We are in regular contact with the Ziyuan organisers who will keep us informed if the situation changes.
Thousands of people in China and around the world are working to understand and contain the spread of the coronavirus. With nobody sure how long the outbreak will last, or when it will be most serious, sporting organisers are under increased pressure to make decisions about events scheduled in China.
With over seven months to go before the WRC, none of the conversations have been about changing the dates or venue. We fully expect to hold the WRC on the Wu Pai River as planned, however, the health and well-being of our athletes, officials and volunteers are our top priority. At no time will we make a decision that puts anyone at risk. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, we will begin to examine the possibility of relocating or postponing the WRC if it becomes necessary.
The IRF will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations provided by the Chinese Authorities, the World Health Organisation, and other leading health authorities around the world. The IRF administration and WRC event personnel will keep National Federation (NF) leaders informed as this situation changes and develops. We ask that NF’s pass these updates onward to their teams and athletes.
Coronavirus Update 4
Coronavirus Update 3
Coronavirus Update 2
Coronavirus Update 1
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #Ziyuan #China #whitewater #rafting #whitewaterrafting #StrongerTogether #internationalrafting #RiverFamily #WeAreIRF
By IRF admin, on January 31st, 2020  Breaking the mould and proving that raft racing is an enthralling and vibrant sport, the river Vrbas invited teams from across the globe to take part in the 2009 IRF World Rafting Championships. An event which saw racing take place over two rivers in two neighbouring countries and with the most exciting slalom spectacle under night lights, it was one that is recognised as iconic and not to be forgotten.
It is with great delight that we announce the IRF is returning to the Vrbas River for our World Rafting Championships! The last WRC held there was in 2009 and is considered one of the most successful events where we had a total of 53 Open teams (before other categories were introduced), more than 30,000 people attending the opening ceremony, and close to 25,000 spectators at the night slalom!
| When: |
30 May – 6 June 2021 |
| Where: |
Vrbas River, Banja Luka, BiH |
| Host: |
Rafting Club Kanyon |
| Race Divisions: |
U19, U23, Open, Masters |
| Race Categories: |
Men, Women |
| Race Format: |
R6 |
 Adding to an action packed racing calendar for 2020, Pre-Worlds will take place over the weekend of 03 – 05 July 2020. This event will also be part of the 2020 EC and WC Series. Teams from around the globe are invited to attend the pre-worlds to get a taste of the action – especially the engaging Bijeli Buk rapid in the Tijesno Canyon where teams will take on the pyramid waves and big boils for Sprint and Head-to-Head
More details will be published over the coming months.
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #irferc #wrc2021 #RiverFamily #rafting #StrongerTogether #Bosnia #BanjaLuka #Vrbas #RepublikaSrpska
By IRF admin, on January 29th, 2020 AreYouReady to head back to where it all started? Федерация Рафтинга России / Russian Rafting Federation are pulling together their bid to host the 2023 IRF World Rafting Champs on the Katun River (Class 3 and 4) and Chuya River (Class 3 to 5)!
Considered as the founding race that in 1989 pulled together nations from across the globe to bring peace and prosperity at a time of global friction, Project RAFT on the Chuya River saw racing take place on a truly international scale. Now with bigger goals and more determination to share the idyllic and spectacular region with the world, the Russian Rafting Federation, Government of the Altai Republic, Government of the Russian Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation hope to invite you all to their unique and remote corner of the globe.
The bid encompasses racing for all groups with U19 and U23 racing on the Chuya River. Opens and Masters Sprint, Н2Н, Slalom on the Katun River, and the Downriver on the Chuya river.
Check out the promo video here:
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #rafting #russia #russiarafting #chuya #siberia #StrongerTogether #internationalrafting #RiverFamily #WeAreIRF
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Photo Albums
 ERC 2019, Slalom  WRC 2019, Downriver  WRC 2018, H2H  WRC 2017, Slalom  WRC 2016, Downriver  WRC 2015, Citarik River, West Java, Indonesia, (Masters Women, Slalom, 1st, Czech Republic) 
WRC 2014, Downriver
 WRC 2014, Sprint  WRC 2013, H2H  WRC 2013, Slalom  ERC 2014 |
